The comedian explained that the episode about to be shown (taped on Thursday, before the tragedy) had opened with a monologue including references to The Dark Knight Rises and Ferguson’s usual silliness, and that it felt “inappropriate” to air the segment as originally planned.

While he “didn’t want to add my rage and despair to everyone else’s,” Ferguson instead extended his sympathies to the victims’ families and noted, “We are all diminished when something like this happens.”